This Magic Moment
by DecorusSomnium
Summary: In New York after the destruction of Sunnydale, Buffy finds that her whole life is ahead of her and she is ready to move on. Maybe with the help of Jack Montgomery? Chapter 15 up!
1. More Than Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment

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Rating: K+

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Summary: In New York to find a rare book on prophesies, Buffy runs into a Montgomery at the bookstore.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

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Notes: So, this is the first installment of this series of short ficlets.

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More Than Magic

Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer for the past 7 ½ years, sneezed twice in a row when the dust from the musty books packed onto the shelf in front of her flew up in her face. Squeezing her eyes closed because sneezing always made them water, she heard but didn't see the door to the ancient and rare book store open. Rubbing at her eyes, she sneezed once again before replacing the book back on the shelf.

The reason Buffy was in New York was to find a book. It was about prophesies, and Giles said that he could really use it. The book was both ancient and rare, so she figured the best place to look for it would be in this shop. Seeing a promising book on the top shelf, she reached as high as she could but couldn't reach it. Scowling, she said a few obscenities under her breath.

"These people should really learn how to make smaller shelves for shorter people," she muttered. Spotting a chair off to the side, she dragged it over and set it in front of the shelf before stepping on top of it. That brought her level to the shelf. Smiling happily, she grabbed the book and tried pulling it out. Somehow, it dislodged a few other books that tumbled to the ground with a few loud thuds.

Grumbling, she climbed down from the chair and bent to pick up with a book when her hand connected with another. Her head whipped up, and she stared into dark blue eyes. Inhaling a deep breath, a new scent invaded her nose. Instead of musty books, she smelt something forest like. Tilting her head back, she took in the strangers face.

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Hubba, hubba, her traitorous mind whispered. He was handsome, with his navy blue eyes, strong cheekbones, and luscious looking lips. His face was tanned, and his hair a dark, chestnut brown. _Bad Buffy, bad!_ She mentally reprimanded herself. She was there on business. Straightening her back, she reached for a different book.

"Thank you," she said to the man, stepping back on the chair and putting the fallen books back on her shelf.

"You're welcome," he answered in a deep voice. Turning her head, Buffy thought he was going to say something else, but he was interrupted.

"Found it Jack. You ready?" Another man asked, appearing beside him. They looked a lot alike. Must be brothers.

The man she presumed was Jack nodded politely to her before turning to follow the other man. Turning back to the shelf, Buffy sighed softly when she realized the book she was holding wasn't what she was looking for.

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Jack Montgomery, part of the infamous and rich Montgomery family, followed his brother Duncan out the door of the book store. Looking into the back Dunc had handed him, he smiled when he saw the book that his grandfather had been searching for. It was a birthday present for the great man who had started the Montgomery law firm in New York.

"So, who was that?" Duncan asked casually.

"Who?" Jack asked, just as casually.

"The hot woman in the bookstore," his brother answered without bullshit.

Ah, the hot woman. Now she was a looker. Pretty hazel eyes, skin that looked soft, long blonde hair. Nice body. What Jack thought was great was the spark of intelligence in her eyes. That's what really caught his attention. "I don't know. She dropped a few books and I helped her pick them up."

"Always the boy scout," Duncan teased.

"Oh, shut up," Jack said, giving him a shove. Forgetting the woman, the two brothers joked their way to the Montgomery Law Offices. But the memory of her still niggled in the back of Jacks mind.

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End Part One

So, what did you think? Not sure if I am going to continue this as a series of short ficlets. If not, it'll stand on it's own. Just depends on my willingness to start a new story and what everybody thinks. Send me a review and tell me if I should continue. I might write a little more, then stop if people don't think I should continue. So, give me a review with positive feedback, and I'll give you more!


	2. Magical Intervention

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Title: This Magic Moment

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Rating: K+

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Summary: In New York to find a rare book on prophesies, Buffy accidentally interrupts a Montgomery/Taggert family get-together.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

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Notes: Thanks to **Catlimere, Dreamweaver, greeneyes, Dr. Shubert, fairieangel, and S. Mary **for reviewing!

Catlimere: The Montgomery and Taggert families were made up by Jude Deveraux. Both families are really old, rich and powerful, well respected among the community. Plus, they're all great people with open minds. One of them even married a woman with psychic powers. There are a lot of Taggert and Montgomery's, and they are all related. Jack Montgomery and his family weren't made up by Jude Deveraux, they are characters from my own mind. Buffy does need "hubba, hubba".

Dreamweaver: I've never heard of any of those other families. Who are the authors? Yeah, Jude Deveraux is one of my favorite authors, and I love her Montgomery/Taggert family series. You know, I was thinking about writing a chapter where Jack asks Buffy who her lawyers are. Can you imagine if she said "Wolfram and Hart" and Jack had heard about them, especially their way of doing business? Hmm…ideas.

Dr. Shubert: Ooh, good idea. What if Buffy comes across a Watchers Diary of a previous Slayer named Montgomery or Taggert? Interesting… Thanks for reviewing!

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Magical Intervention

Buffy Summers had a philosophy. She believed that life, in general, had a lot of strange curves, and that the only way to survive was to roll with the punches and make do with what you had. Which is why she didn't bat an eyelash when she found herself a sacrifice in a demon ritual in the middle of a cavern that was located in the sewers beneath New York City.

As the oldest and most experienced Vampire Slayer of the many in the world, and there were quite a few since her friend Willow had activated all of them, Buffy had previously found herself in this very same position a few times before. Luckily for her, but unluckily for the demons who dared to try and sacrifice the Slayer, she had always managed to find a way out.

Her mind was, at that very moment, frantically trying to come up with a plan of escape. With her mouth gagged and her unable to talk, she found it very frustrating not to be able to use her witty insults on the demons who had captured her. Instead, she focused her energies on coming up with said plan.

It is well known that Buffy Summers' plans were unusual. However, as she had pointed out many times, you couldn't complain when they got the job done. And if they hadn't gone exactly as she thought they would, well, not every plan was foolproof.

Heaving a great sigh, which was actually in vain because her mouth was still gagged, Buffy rolled her eyes when the torches surrounding the cavern suddenly shot into flame. _Puh-leeze_, she thought, _like I haven't seen that before._

Several robed figures entered the room and formed a circle around the prone Slayer. Hoods covered their faces, but Buffy already knew what she would see. Garash-Ka demons. A particularly nasty breed of demons heavily into sacrificing women to their demon god, Monish-Sho. She had been hunting one down after a tip from Larry, Willy's cousin that owned a demon bar in New York. Larry had said that the Garash-Ka demons had a book that she wanted.

After following the demon for a few minutes, she had somehow been caught off guard. Waking up a half an hour later, she had found herself on an alter in a white dress. When a couple of hours had passed and she had found no way to get out of the cavern that had been locked with a heavy metal door, Buffy had resorted to yelling. Not too long after, about six demons, very large and ugly, came in and bound and gagged her.

Now it had to be after night of the next day, and it seemed like they were finally getting to the ritual where they cut her heart out and peel her skin off, which was later stored in containers because flesh was a delicacy in the demon world, and then their demon god was supposed to come and eat her. The worst part was, she really had to pee.

Chanting began and interrupted Buffy's thoughts. She really should have been thinking up a plan instead of thinking about her need to relieve her bladder. Mentally shrugging, she rolled her eyes again when the chanting got louder. _I guess I just have to go with the flow and make it up_, she thought. Before the chanting could end, Buffy rolled to the side and off the alter, causing the demons to stop the ritual and send up a shout of warning. Hopping on bound feet, she tripped over a stone and landed on her back.

A demon grabbed the ritual knife and gestured to the others to keep chanting. As the sounds of the ancient ritual filled the air, Buffy frantically searched for a way out of the mess she found herself in. The demon with the knife started to bring the blade down towards her heart, Buffy lifted her legs up to block and the knife sliced through the ropes around her ankle. Happy at this bit of luck, she kicked the surprised demon in the gut and flipped up, grabbing the knife.

Reversing it, she sawed at the ropes around her wrists while spinning and kicking another demon in the face. Hands finally free, she tore her gag off and grinned fiercely.

"Glad I can join the party. Sorry, my invitation must be in my other sacrificial dress," she said as she began to fight. The next 10 minutes passed in a blur as she dispatched of the five demons, managing to get green goo all over the really ugly dress they had put her in. Tip-toeing to the door, Buffy slowly opened it and peeked out, only to get punched in the face by the guard. Flying backwards, she hit the wall with a groan.

Sinking to the floor, she pushed herself up when two guard demons walked in. Larger than the demons that had been chanting, they advanced on the Slayer as she stood. Wincing as her back popped, Buffy fisted her hands and stood in a fighters crouch. Punching out at the demon on the left while simultaneously kicking at the demon on the left, she smiled when she connected to face and stomach. Flipping out of the way, she caught one demon in the chin before she landed, snatching up the knife where it had fallen.

Turning to face both demons, Buffy held the knife in her hand and got to work. When the demons were finally dead, she made her way out the door and down a sewer pipe. Finally, she found a room that was empty except for a few broken chairs, her clothes and a dusty book. Exactly what she was looking for. Grabbing it, she whistled a mindless tune and changed out of the ugly white dress that was dripping in demon goo, wrinkling her nose when she saw that her clothes had a few streaks slime on it. Holding the book to her chest, she turned to find an exit.

Not too long after, she found another demon. It was a different species than the Garash-Ka, smaller but just as ugly. Giving an annoyed sigh, she began to chase after it when it ran. Luckily, the demon lead her straight to an exit. Bursting out of the branches, Buffy skid to a halt in surprise.

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Well, shit, she thought, wincing when several people turned to stare at her. Well, several plus about 50, and that was only about half of the people there.

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Jack Montgomery was deep in conversation with his brother Duncan. Which actually was not an easy thing to do when about a hundred other conversations were happening around him and about a million kids ran through the park. This was not an unusual occurrence because the Montgomery family and the Taggert family got together for reunions about twice a year. It was chaos. Utter chaos. And he loved it.

Single and nearing the ripe age of 30, Jack liked to consider himself content. He had a great job as a lawyer in his parents' prestigious law firm, Montgomery Law, he had more family than he could count, a nice house outside city limits, and great friends. Jack wasn't single for lack of prospects. Hell, he had been considered one of New York's most eligible bachelors. He liked to think that he was seen as such not just because he was rich and he had a good job, but because he had a great personality. And while Jack liked to consider himself content with his life, sometimes he wasn't.

What he really wanted was someone to come home to, other than his dog Otis. He wanted someone to lay in bed with at night, other than Otis. And he wanted to share breakfast with someone, other than Otis. Shaking his head, he turned back to the conversation he was having with Duncan.

Before he could get a word in, there was a commotion to his left and he spun around, wondering which one of his kid relatives had done something wrong. It wasn't a kid, though. A _thing_, for lack of a better word, jumped out of the branches and stood there, snarling. It was a bluish greenish color, and very ugly. Someone screamed, and the women all backed up as the men pushed their way forward, Jack among them.

Then another figure burst out of the branches, and in the dim light, Jack saw that it wasn't another ugly creature. It was a woman, but he couldn't make out her features. She was very small, not much over five feet, so she might not have been a woman at all. Actually, she seemed kind of familiar. Ready to jump forward to protect her, Jack faltered when the thing turned around, noticed the woman, and shrieked in fear before fleeing.

As if she was about give chase, the woman put a step forward, then stopped as if realizing she was surrounded by people. Swiveling her head from side to side, Jack practically heard her swallow.

"Uh…Darn kids in Halloween masks. They just never know when to quit, right?" She said, before chuckling nervously. "Well, uh, I better go and find him to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. Sorry about interrupting the party. Bye!" The woman waved, then slipped through the crowd of Montgomery's and Taggert's.

About to follow, Jack stopped and shook his head. It was none of his business, anyway. Yet he couldn't help but feel as if the woman's explanation wasn't even close to the truth. The lawyer in him wanted to look beneath the surface, but he decided against it. After all, he was here with family, and he was enjoying the party.

A thought still niggled at the back of his mind. He knew that voice. But from where?

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Buffy grimaced as she got into the shower and the hot water beat down on her cuts and bruises. After washing up, she got out and toweled herself dry. Standing in the middle of her bedroom in the two room apartment that she had bought with Council funds, she winced when she thought about the unfortunate incident at the park this morning. Talk about embarrassing. Good thing she had got out as fast as she could.

Pushing the afternoon and the whole experience to the back of her mind, she grinned at the musty book on her dresser and did a victory dance. At least she had gotten the book that Giles had wanted. Now it was time for her to get a life. Maybe she could convince Giles that New York was the right place for her.

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End

Tell me what you think!


	3. Twisted Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment 

Rating: K+

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Summary: Living in New York, Buffy runs into Jack Montgomery yet again. Literally.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

****

Note: Thanks to **fairieangel, Dreamweaver, Dr. Shubert, and Catlimere **for reviewing!

Dreamweaver: Oops, my mistake. Well, let's just pretend that he still is. Yeah, I bet at least someone has come across the "night world", especially if one of them was a Slayer or Watcher. Well, Jack doesn't have a clue about it, and no one in his family has said anything. Maybe I'll work someone in later on. Thanks for the review.

Dr. Shubert: A camcorder. Yes! I love it. I really have to work that one in. Considering the Montgomery and Taggert clans have all served in wars, I think the hero gene is in their blood.

Catlimere: I was planning on one of the Montgomery or Taggert's being invited into the new Council. Can you imagine if they meet Buffy without realizing who/what she is, then goes for a meeting at the Council and seeing her there? Great. I'll have to think about that.

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Twisted Magic

It had been two weeks since that embarrassing moment in the park. Buffy was more worried about being humiliated than the people at the park finding out about demons. After all, humans were basically oblivious and they lived in denial. She had no doubt that the witnesses to the other night's mishap were the same. Thankfully, it had been dark and the nearby lighting had been sucky and they hadn't seen her face. The bad thing was that she hadn't really seen their faces, despite her Slayer senses. If she had, she would make sure she avoided them in case they recognized her. Luckily, New York was a big city, and so far she hadn't run into anybody she recognized.

Which meant she hadn't seen hide nor tail of the handsome man named Jack from the bookstore. Now, there was a male specimen worthy of a second glance. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the chance to give him a second glance. Giving a regretful sigh, Buffy grabbed her bag and walked out of the hotel room she was staying at with Council money. After the destruction of Sunnydale, Giles had taken over the Council and subsequently the Council funds, which was quite a lot. He was starting a new generation of Watchers, and this time things were going to go better.

However, Buffy didn't really want to deal with the Council or any of the business that entailed. She wanted to travel the world, kill demons and shop for new clothes. If Giles wanted her to do a few things for him when she was in a city, then fine. As long as she got to use Council money, then she was happy. Dawn wanted to stay in England and go to school, and Buffy was okay with that. She wanted Dawn to have as normal a life as she could get, and if that meant being away from Buffy, then that was the way things had to be. She couldn't blame her.

Now that she was in New York, Buffy loved it. It was so busy, full of self-absorbed people, making her job easier to go unnoticed. Giles had readily agreed to her idea about her staying there to find rare books and kill the many vampire and demons. She had even come up with the idea to open up a school of self-defense. That way, Giles could send some Slayers over to her to receive special training, and she can help normal people so they can protect themselves better, making her job that much easier.

Right then, she was heading out to find some place to house her self-defense school. She wanted someplace big and lofty, with large walls to place mirrors up so her students could practice moves. Buffy wanted a place with an office and an upstairs that she could make into an apartment.

"Maybe I should go to a real estate agent," Buffy muttered an hour later, standing next to a run-down building that was located near some seedy looking houses. The hour was filled with fruitless searching. Every place that she had come across wasn't right. She was ready to give up.

At that thought, she straightened her shoulders and stiffened her back. Buffy was a Slayer, and Slayers never gave up! She would find a place, and the place would be perfect, dammit! Even if she had to kill someone. Getting into her rental car, she headed towards a payphone with a phone book.

Two hours later, a very satisfied Buffy walked out of a Taggert Real Estate. After talking with a very nice woman named Julie Taggert, they had made an appointment for the next day. Soon, she would have her very own place.

Smiling, she glanced across the street and stopped in her tracks. There was a very familiar man stepping into a taxi. Taking a step forward, Buffy's eyes widened when she realized it was Jack. About to call out, she stifled the urge, feeling foolish. She had seen the man once, for goodness sake! And he probably wouldn't even remember her. Shaking her head and feeling disappointed, Buffy turned to her rental car and got in. She would just have to forget Jack and go shopping. Brightening at the idea, Buffy maneuvered her car backwards, then cursed when she hit something with a loud crunch.

Eyes wide, she looked behind her, then groaned when she saw a taxi and a very angry driver. Then she banged her head when the passenger stepped out. It was Jack. _Great, _she thought, _just great_. Sighing, she stepped out of her car.

Giles was going to kill her.

Jack yelped when the taxi he was in came to a sudden, crunched stop. Cursing at the idiot who had slammed into him, he leaped out of the car, ready to give them a peace of his mind. That was before he saw who it was.

Grinning foolishly, he watched the woman from the bookstore step out of her car, a pretty flush on her cheeks. Considering that he couldn't get her out of his mind in the last few weeks, he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He wasn't.

Waving of her apologies, Jack looked her over. Oh Lord, he hoped he wasn't dreaming.

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End

Tell me what you think!


	4. Coincidental Magic

**Title:** This Magic Moment

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** During renovations to her soon-to-be self-defense school, Buffy is shocked to see Jack Montgomery come in.

**Disclaimer:** I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

**Feedback:** I would most certainly appreciate it!

**Note:** Thanks to c-wolf and fairieangel for reviewing.

Fairieangel- This one is up way early. I had extra time, so I decided to write it. Here you go!

c-wolf- Jude Deveraux is a romance author. She wrote a ton of books, most featuring someone from the Montgomery or Taggert family, who are all related through blood or marriage. They are both old, rich, and powerful families. It's not a series, per se. You can read anyone you want without getting confused because they don't really relate to each other. Thanks for reviewing!

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Coincidental Magic

"So, what's this favor you want me to do?" Jack asked his cousin Julie, stopping outside of her office at Taggert Real Estate. Julie glanced up from the computer she was currently looking at, her eyes unfocused behind her glasses. Squinting at him, she yanked the glasses off and shoved her hair from her face.

"Hi, Jack. I've been doing great. Business is good. And you?" She asked, standing up and smoothing her sweater over jean clad hips. Julie grinned at her handsome cousin, gesturing him towards one of her office chairs.

"Hello, Julie. Everything's fine, business is great. Now, what is just so important that you had to have me come all the way down from the firm during rush hour?" Jack teased her, kissing her cheek.

"Well, we just sold this old building a few blocks away. Nice, but needs a little work. The woman who is taking it has decided to rent it for a year to see how things go, and if it suits her needs, she will decide to buy it. Now, I need you-" Jack cut her off midsentence.

"What is she going to use it for?"

"A self-defense school. Which isn't a bad idea," Julie admitted, thinking that she might like to go in for a few lessons. "Now," she continued, "what I need you to do is go over the contract with her. It pretty much says that she can do whatever she wants to renovate the building without expecting us to pay her the money back if she decides she doesn't want the place at the end of the year. Basic stuff."

"Right. What's her name?"

"Buffy. Buffy Summers."

Jack groaned. "Buffy? What kind of name is that? Her parents must have been high when they named her. Poor kid."

Julie stifled a smile and glared at her cousin. "Buffy's a very nice girl. I don't want you making jokes about her name in front of her. Now, shoo. And here's her address." Thrusting a piece of paper at him, Julie slipped her glasses back on and looked back at the computer.

Shaking his head, Jack chuckled and left the office. A half an hour later his taxi pulled up in front of a two story building already busy with contractors. There was a painting company's truck out front, and the door to the building was wide open. Paying the cab driver, Jack stepped inside the building, careful not to step on any paint. Glancing around, he didn't see anybody who would fit his minds description of someone named Buffy. Frankly, he pictured either an old woman with a stern face, or a young bubble-popping airhead who believed she could buy whatever she wanted with Daddy's money.

Instead, what he did see stopped him in his tracks. There, painting one wall, was the woman. The very same woman he had been thinking about for at least a month. It had been two weeks since the fender-bender between her and the taxi. He hadn't gotten her name when she and the cab driver had been exchanging insurance information, and he hadn't had time to ask because he had realized he was late for a meeting. Jack still cursed his bad luck.

But here she was, painting a wall. It had to be fate. No way was this just a measly coincedence. Three times in the last month, and New York was a big place. Jack grinned. So she was a wall painter. Maybe he could finally get her name and ask her out for dinner. Or- and Jack laughed quietly to himself at this thought- his house could use a new coat of paint. Maybe if she refused, he could get her company to come down and make sure she was one of the painters.

Jack nodded to himself, decision made. He walked towards the mystery woman, all thoughts off Buffy Summers and his cousin gone from his mind.

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Buffy shoved a piece of hair back under her cap so it wouldn't get paint all over it, then she dipped the brush into the tan paint. She decided that she wanted the floors to be wooden, and the walls tan to make it appear more homey, instead of sterile the way white walls would have. She smiled at the sound of hammers and construction work going on upstairs. Buffy was so excited, she couldn't just sit in her office, so she had come out and decided to help the painters do the walls. Good thing they had an extra pair of overalls and a cap in the back of the truck, because she already had paint all over her, and she could feel a smear across her cheek.

Bending down to dip the brush into the paint can again, she stopped when she saw shoes standing next to it. And these were nice shoes, not paint splattered ones. Her eyes traveled up expensive looking tan slacks, past a white shirt covered with an open suit jacket and a loosened tie over a broad chest. Past a strong looking throat and finally into the eyes of the one man she didn't want to see right then. Well, she guessed the Master might be the one man she didn't want to see. Or ADAM. Or Riley, for that matter.

Frowning at her train of thoughts, Buffy pulled her wandering mind back to the man in front of her. Oh, yeah. Jack. The man who had been in the taxi that she had hit. He had seemed fine when he had stepped out of the car a few weeks ago. Well, except for the weird smile that was on his lips. Kind of like the one he was sporting just then. Oh great.

"You're here to sue me, aren't you?" Buffy blurted out.

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Sue her? That was the last thing on his mind. One of the first things was how cute she looked with the cap on and some paint smeared on her face. Another thing was how much he wanted to have dinner with her. The best thing on his mind was the thought of throwing her over his shoulder like a caveman and carting her out of the building. Nope, suing her wasn't one of the first things on his mind.

Before he could get a word out, she continued. "Because you looked fine a few weeks ago. Unless you have whiplash. Oh, God. You don't have whiplash, do you? Because I'm really sorry. It was an accident." She babbled nervously.

"No, I don't have-" Jack began before she cut him off.

"I'm sorry if you do, and I'll pay for medical bills, but let me just warn you first. You shouldn't sue me. It'll be a waste of money," the woman told him, biting her bottom lip.

Distracted by that movement, he stared at that bottom lip and absently asked, "Why?"

"Because I have some really good lawyers. Possibly some of the best, besides this Montgomery law firm they have her in New York. I've heard some great things about them. And I would switch to them if I had to, so you don't want to sue me."

That got Jacks attention. "Who are your lawyers?" He asked, curious.

"Wolfram and Hart."

Jack felt his eyes go wide and his jaw drop open. Wolfram and Hart? This pretty young woman had Wolfram and Hart as lawyers? But that couldn't be! She was a house painter. Unless she had connections to the mob or other criminals. He looked her over suspiciously.

"I take it you've heard of them." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yeah. They're a bunch of dirty lawyers." Jack replied heatedly. Wolfram and Hart catered to criminals, drug dealers and gun busters.

"Well, not the LA branch. They're turning of a new leaf now that they have a different CEO. He's a good guy, not someone who does the same business that the firm used to do. He's changing things, making them better. And they don't represent criminals, just the good guys."

Jack felt a sense of relief that she didn't seem to be a bad guy. But wait. "You sound like you personally know the new CEO." He said, a strange feeling of jealousy coming over him.

"I do. We're...old friends." She replied, brushing a piece of hair from her cheek. "So, you shouldn't sue me."

"I'm not here to sue you," Jack told her. _I'm here to date you, _he thought.

"Then what are you here for?"

About to voice his thoughts, he opened his mouth, then closed it. That wasn't what he was there for. What was he there for? Oh, yeah. Buffy Summers. "I'm here to speak with someone."

"And who might that be?" She asked curiously.

"Buffy Summers, the woman who is renting this place."

"Well, I guess that you're in luck. Hi, I'm Buffy Summers."

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End

Tell me what you think!


	5. Questioning Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment 

Rating: K+

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Summary: In New York to open her self-defense school, Buffy gets an offer from Jack.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

****

Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

****

Note: Thanks to **SkyeDeploro, Dreamweaver, Toniboo and fairieangel **for reviewing.

SkyeDeploro: Yeah, I'm going to continue. But I will probably be finished with the series soon. I'm not going to make it too long. Actually, I'm having a problem with making sure the chapters aren't too long. Oh, well. Thanks for the review!

Dreamweaver: Well, I was thinking of a previous Montgomery/Taggert being a Slayer. But if one did become a Slayer when Willow's spell hit, maybe it would be Buffy's destiny to go to New York. Like maybe she thinks that she's making a decision on her own by staying in New York, but really the PTB are involved. I don't know. I'm not making a whole complicated series or anything like that.

Toniboo: The Montgomery family are from books by romance writer Jude Deveraux. They are a very old, powerful and rich family, as is their cousins the Taggert's. Jack Montgomery and his family are made up by me, but the whole Montgomery/Taggert bloodline belongs to Jude Deveraux. Thanks for the review!

Buffy breathed in deeply, closing her eyes. She slowly opened them and smiled at herself in the wall length mirror across the room. Standing in her newly renovated building that was going to hold a self-defense school, she took the final tour. The walls were painted a homey tan, which complimented the hardwood floors. Buffy was going to place thick mats on the floors so her students hurt themselves when they fell, because they would fall, of that she had no doubt.

There was a bar along one wall to do stretches, and various exercise machines in the next room. Upstairs was her apartment. There were two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. And it was all hers. Buffy smiled. This was her first place to herself. Her first private space, something that she had made herself, without any help. Well, besides the contractors and painters. Oh, and the Councils money. But it was her idea, her creation. Her baby. And it was ready.

Finally giving up the act of being composed and business like, she grinned, laughed, then tried to imitate Xander's Snoopy dance. Failing miserably, what came out were weird, twitchy movements. Giving up, she just spun in a few circles before stopping. Opening her eyes, she was still grinning when she looked in the mirror. Then her grin slipped from her face as a blush crept over her cheeks.

Jack Montgomery's form was reflected in the mirror. He was leaning against the door, an amused smile on his face.

Stepping out of the cab he was riding in, Jack paid the driver and watched the car speed away. He stood there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. It had been almost two weeks since Jack had figured out the mysterious woman he kept seeing was actually Buffy Summers, new owner of the building his cousin Julie Taggert had shown her. To say he had been surprised was quite an understatement. Dumbfounded was more like it. But strangely pleased, because this allowed him to spend more time with her. Even though he had only spent an hour in her company, Jack found himself wanting to spend even more time her Buffy.

Which was why he was standing outside of her new self-defense school, staring at her building like an idiot. His excuse he was going to tell Buffy was that his cousin Julie had asked him to come and check on the building. Jack was going to ease into a conversation with her, then casually ask Buffy if she wanted to go out to dinner. He just had to work up the nerve to do it first.

Giving himself a mental pep talk, Jack walked forward and entered the building. At the front was a small room with a desk and some comfortable sitting chairs. There was an entrance without a door, and Jack knew that the main room was in there. Taking a guess that she might be in there, he started to enter before stopping.

There she was, standing in the middle of the room, eyes closed. He stood and watched her for a few seconds before Buffy grinned, laughed, then did some kind of weird dance that made her look like she was having a seizure. Jack grinned as she spun around a few times, stopping and facing the mirror. He quickly schooled his features into a composed mask, but he couldn't quite keep the smile from his face.

He watched in the mirror as Buffy opened her eyes and noticed him, a blush quickly replacing the smile. She spun around to face him, assuming a defensive stance.

"Please, don't stop on my account. You looked like you were enjoying yourself," Jack teased, stepping from the door and into the room.

Buffy grinned sheepishly. "I'm just... happy that it's ready," she explained, shrugging. She walked forward until she was only a few feet from Jack. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, smiling up at him.

Jack's throat went dry and he forgot what he was doing there. Hell, he forgot his own name. "Do you want to go out to dinner?" He blurted out, then winced. Talk about jumping the gun.

Raising an eyebrow, Buffy bit her lip. Go out to dinner with him? Duh, yes. But was she ready? It had been over six months since Spike died in the destruction of Sunnydale. She didn't love Angel anymore, of that she was certain. And she was sick of being cookie dough. She wanted to be a cookie. Opening her mouth to say yes, she groaned when she remembered something. She was going to Italy in a few hours, and she had yet to pack!

"Jack, I would love to, but I can't tonight," she said, watching disappointment flash across his face. "I'm going to visit family in Italy tonight, and I'll be gone a week," Buffy explained.

"How about when you get back?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Give me your number, and I'll call you when I get back. If you still want dinner, I'd love to go," Buffy offered.

Nodding, Jack took out a business card and scrawled his home phone and cell phone numbers on the back. "Don't forget to call me," he told her, handing her the card.

"I won't."

"Have fun on your trip, and I'll see you when you get back," Jack said, smiling at her, then turned and left the building.

Buffy stared at Jacks card for a few minutes, the grinned. Yep, she was so ready to be a cookie.

End

Tell me what you think!


	6. Sensible Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment

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Rating: K+

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Summary: Back in New York, Buffy tries to contact Jack.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

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Note: Thanks to **fairieangel, Toniboo, Dreamweaver, and Stemaphie** for reviewing!

Fairieangel: I always loved that cookie dough analogy.

Toniboo: Nope, not the end. I have a feeling it'll be awhile.

Dreamweaver: That is a great idea, one that I haven't thought of. Can you imagine Buffy's reaction to such a big family? She didn't have a big family growing up, just her parents and her sister, and then only her mom and her sister, and then only her sister. Not counting the Scoobies, of course. Have you read Sweet Liar? I love how Samantha was able to distinguish between the two twins. Thanks for the review!

Stemaphie: You haven't read any of the books? I command you to go out and read one. The author is Jude Deveraux. She is such a great writer. I recommend Sweet Liar or High Tide. They both feature Taggert's. If you want to read a Montgomery story, though, you can read Always or Knight In Shining Armor. I've always wanted to see Buffy try to do the Snoopy dance. I don't think she'd be so good at it, though. Well, here's an update! Thanks for reviewing, and do it again! Hint, hint. 

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Sensible Magic

Ring...ring...

"Hi, you've reached Jack Montgomery. I'm not able to come to the phone right now, but if you'll leave your name and your number after the beep, I'll get back to you."

Buffy slammed down the phone before the machine got the chance to beep. Wincing, she blew out a breath and ruffled her bangs. This was the second time she had hung up the phone without leaving a message. What was she supposed to say? After all, she hardly knew Jack, but she did want to go out to dinner with him.

Flopping down onto her bed, she banged her head against the mattress, which was actually futile because the bad was too soft to do anything. _Like knock some sense into me, _Buffy thought wryly. Standing up, she faced the mirror hanging over her vanity.

"Hey, Jack. It's me. Buffy. Buffy Summers. We met last month, remember? Well, I'm back from Italy. Uh, do you still want dinner? Because dinner sounds good right now. But if you don't, that's okay. I totally understand, and I am such an idiot!" Groaning, Buffy briefly closed her eyes, then opened them and turned back to the phone with renewed determination.

Ring...ring...

"Hi, you've reached Jack Montgomery. I'm not able to come to the phone right now, but if you'll-" Slam. Growling, Buffy kicked her bed, and it scooted three feet because of her Slayer strength.

"Okay. I'll keep it short and sweet. Just say my name, tell him I'm back in town, and give him my number. Yeah, that'll work."

Ring...ring...

By the time the answering machine came on, Buffy was sweating. She had to force herself not to hang up. When it beeped, she sat there, unable to speak, before she pinched herself. "Hi, Jack. This is Buffy Summers. I'm back from Italy, and if you're still up for dinner, give me a call. Bye." She hung up and stared at the phone for a about thirty seconds, replaying the words she said. Then she groaned and slapped her head.

Dialing Jack's number again, she called herself an idiot in as many languages she could remember from all the years she helped research. After the answering machine repeated its message, and the beep sounded, Buffy said, "It's Buffy again. I thought you might need my number so you can actually call me. It's..." after she reported the digits, Buffy hung up. She just hoped he still wanted to go out with her.

Later that night, when Jack got home, he noticed a blinking light on his machine. He felt a spurt of anticipation, the same spurt he had been getting these past two weeks whenever he saw the light. That spurt was yelling, "Buffy! It's gotta be Buffy! Yay!" However, no matter how much he hoped, it was never Buffy. Why would she call him early, anyway? But it had been two weeks, like she said, so it had to be her.

Pushing the button on the answering machine, he listed to a message from his mother, one from his sister, another from his brother, and a few more from various cousins, reminding him of the family get together they were having next month. As if he could forget. After all the family messages, he finally came to the one he wanted to hear.

"Hi, Jack," Buffy's voice came on after a few seconds of silence. She sounded slightly nervous, and because she wasn't the only one nervous, Jack grinned. "This is Buffy Summers." As if she could be anyone else. "I'm back from Italy, and if you're still up for dinner, give me a call. Bye."

Feeling panic when he realized that Buffy hadn't given her number, he glanced wildly around before his eyes landed on the phone. Duh! He had Caller ID. The last message began to play, and Jack froze in the act of grabbing the phone.

"It's Buffy again. I thought you might need my number..."

Scribbling down the seven digits, Jack grabbed the phone and went through all the missed calls. He smiled when he saw Buffy's name, grinned when he saw it again, and laughed when he saw that she had called him four times before leaving a message. Smiling smugly, he dialed Buffy's number and listened to it ring. And ring. And ring some more. Feeling deflated, he waited for the answering machine to come on.

"Hey, you've reached Buffy. If this is Giles, Xander, Willow or Dawn, give me a call on my cell, which you should've done in the first place. If you are trying to contact me about the Council, call Giles, Xander or Willow for my cell. You know the number. If this is anyone else, leave a message after the beep. Thanks, and call again!"

Jack frowned. Who were Xander and Don? Ex-boyfriends? And what was the Council? The beep brought him out of his musings.

"Hi, Buffy. It's Jack. I just got your message. Messages, I should say. Sorry to have missed you. Try calling my cell number when you get this message. It's on the back of the card I gave you. Anyway, call me anytime. Bye."

Feeling like an idiot, he shut off the phone and hung it up. Making sure he had his cell phone on, Jack headed towards the kitchen. It was going to be a long night. Where was she, anyway? It was past eight in the evening. Was she out at a club? On a date? Scowling, he poured himself something alcoholic and sat at the kitchen table, staring at the phone like some love struck loon.

End.

Tell me what you think!


	7. Simply Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment

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Rating: K+

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Summary: Buffy and Jack finally manage to reach each other, and Jack needs to convince Buffy to have dinner with him.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

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Note: Thanks to** Anna, WhiteWolf 3, fairieangel, Toniboo and Stempaphie **for reviewing!

Anna: You made total sense. I figure that Angel and Co. owe Buffy a few favors, and they would probably be the only ones Buffy totally trusts. Ooh... Y'know, I planned on making their first date smooth and easy. But this is a good idea. I mean, if Jack's gonna date Buffy, he should know that she sometimes leaves in the middle of things for a reason she doesn't explain, right? Why not just let him get you used to it by letting it happen their first date? Good idea. Thanks for the review!

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Simply Magic

After five days of trying to reach Jack, him trying to reach her, and a bunch of phone messages, Buffy was tired of the whole game. Every time she called him, his cell phone was turned off, and he never answered his home phone. She had tried calling his secretary, but he was usually with a client. And whenever he called her, Buffy was either out slaying, finding a book or some other artifact for Giles, or talking with potential students for her self-defense classes. She came home to messages on her machine, and no matter how much she called, they could never reach the other. She was ready to call it quits and just forget the whole idea.

That seemed like a good idea in theory until, on the sixth night since she had gotten home from Italy, there was a knock on her door at around 7:30. Feeling a certain surge of anticipation, Buffy slowly walked towards the door, wondering, hoping it was Jack, but knowing that it couldn't be.

Opening the door that led to an outside stairway with a large walkway as an entrance, Buffy had to close her eyes and reopen them to make sure she wasn't hallucinating or anything. But nope, she wasn't. Before her stood Jack with a bundle of tiger lilies in his arms. Shaking her head, she stepped back and gestured him in without saying a word. Leading him into her kitchen, she took out a vase and filled it with water, taking the flowers from a silent Jack and arranging them in the vase. The simple task gave her a few moments to think.

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What is he doing here? Was the first thing that came to mind, followed by,_ Oh, crap. What am I going to do?_

Turning to face him when she was done, she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. They stared at each other for a couple more moments before Buffy rolled her eyes at herself. "What are you doing here, Jack?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow.

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What _was_ he doing there? Jack searched Buffy's face, hoping to find an answer. Looking into her eyes, he saw one. _Ah._ "I wanted to see you," he answered, simply. And the answer was simple, because he did want to see her. The past week had been crazy, and he was sick of playing telephone with her. He hated having to speak to her machine, and come home to hear her voice on his. The last message had been the breaking point, and he had finally snapped. Leaving his apartment without thinking about it, he had headed to the nearest florist and picked out some flowers. He didn't want to get her roses, because they were so typical and ordinary, and he could already tell that Buffy was anything but typical and ordinary. She was exotic, fun, and beautiful. So he had picked the lilies.

Now he was here, and he didn't know what he should do.

"I'm sorry that we haven't been able to reach each other, but I don't want to just give up. We should go out to dinner," Jack said, stepping closer, causing her to tilt her head up to meet his eyes. Her mouth was open a little bit, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her lips.

"Why?" She whispered, eyelids sliding down halfway. Jack stepped closer.

"Because.." Searching his mind for a reason, besides the corny ones, Jack stepped even closer. So close that only a few inches separated them. Separated him from her mouth. And he wondered what Buffy would do if he just leaned down a little bit and kissed her. If he just took her arms and yanked her mouth to his. And then he came up with his reason. "Because of this," he said before grabbing onto her upper arms and lifting her off her feet, sitting her on the counter while she gasped. Jack brought her arms around his neck, setting his hands on her hips and standing between her legs.

He felt breathless, which surprised him because he had never been breathless from a woman before. Of course, he had never met a woman quite like this one. Wanting to claim her mouth with his own, but uncertain, he brought his face close to hers and let his lips hover over hers. Her breath fanned his cheek, and he closed his eyes, savoring the sensation. Reopening them, he gazed into Buffy's hazel eyes and let her make the decision.

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Buffy gazed at Jack's lips, so close to hers, yet so far away. Why wasn't he kissing her? _Wait, _she thought, frowning a little. _This shouldn't be happening. It isn't right, not when I don't know him that well. But if it was wrong, why did it feel so right? _Her thoughts were halted when Jack smoothed her brow, where her frown had deepened without her realizing it. His skin felt so good against her forehead, his finger rough, but in a good way, not the smooth fingers of a man who did very little hands on work in his life.

Shifting a little, and wondering why Jack wasn't kissing her senseless, Buffy brought her eyes to his beautiful blue.

"Buffy," Jack whispered, and her name sounded so good coming from his lips. His hands felt good on her hips, and her arms felt as if they belonged around his neck. "I want you. But if you don't want this, just say the word, and I'll-"

"Shut up, Jack." Buffy said. And then she kissed him.

It was full of fire and electricity. It started out as just a mere touching of lips until Buffy moaned, and Jack responded. He shoved his hand into her hair and brought the other one around her back, bringing her flush up against his chest. The kiss deepened, and Buffy felt as if time stopped, as if they kissed forever, when it could have only been minutes until Jack pulled back, breathing heavily.

Buffy panted, wondering why she was short of breath. She was the Slayer, she could hold her breath for more than two minutes. She could run for an hour without breathing hard But here she was, after a kiss, panting like a dog in heat. But what a kiss!

"Dinner?" Jack finally got out, releasing her hair and stepping back.

Buffy felt the loss of contact, already wishing Jack would get back to her and kiss her senseless again. Instead, she said, "Yeah, dinner. When?"

"Next Friday. I'll pick you up at 6. That fine with you?"

"Yeah, dinner." She repeated stupidly, smoothing her hair and hopping down from the counter, which brought her close to Jack once again.

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Jack looked down at Buffy, standing so close to him, and almost lost his mind totally. "Yeah, dinner," he repeated back. They stared at each other for a few moments before he shook his head. "Bye," he said, before leaning down and giving her a quick kiss. He felt a zing, and his lips tingled.

"Bye," she said to his retreating back as he left her apartment, stepping into the cool air, which felt good on his over heated skin. That kiss was a good enough reason for dinner. A slight skip to his step, Jack decided to walk home. He needed the cool down.

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End

Tell me what you think!


	8. Speechless Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment 

Rating: K+

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Summary: Buffy and Jack's first date.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

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Note: Thanks to **spk, onlimain, Anna, fairieangel, Claddagh and Toniboo **for the wonderful reviews!

spk: I'm glad when I get my readers squealing like school girls.

Claddagh: Yeah, my hairs practically standing straight up.

Toniboo: I plan on having the Scoobs make an appearance, but Buffy won't be saying anything about her being the Slayer for awhile yet.

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Speechless Magic

"I look dumb. God, could I look any dumber?" Buffy asked herself, staring in the mirror. She was in Nordstrom, trying on dresses because her date was in...4 hours, and she just _had _to wait until the last minute. To be fair to herself, she had thought that she had a dress that was good enough, so she hadn't worried about it. But she had finally taken it out that afternoon, and she decided she hated it. Of course, she had loved it when she bought it, but for some reason, she had felt like burning the thing when she saw it. So she had panicked and immediately went shopping. That was an hour and a half ago.

Stripping out of the gold, strapless mini-dress, Buffy stuffed herself into a silver, spaghetti strapped evening gown that hugged her curves. Deciding that the hem line was ugly, she groaned and practically ripped the dumb thing off. Slipping into the fluffy robe the salesperson had lent her, she brought the dresses back out and handed them to the person helping her. The lady, whose name tag read Mandy, arched a brow at the look of discord on Buffy's face and the pile of expensive dresses in her arms.

"Not right?" She guessed with a look of sympathy, taking the dresses and handing them to her assistant.

"No," Buffy moaned, sinking into the coach with her head in her hands.

Mandy sat next to her, making a mental list of evening dresses in a size 2. Squinting at Buffy, she zeroed in on her eyes, which were a vivid hazel, and her mental inventory came to an abrupt halt. "I've got it!" She exclaimed excitedly, jumping up.

Buffy looked at her with a hopeful expression on her face. "Show it to me?" She asked, not wanting to get her hopes up, but not being able to squelch it all the way.

Nodding, Mandy left to the main store, and soon came back with a dress that Buffy could already tell was perfect, even without trying it on. She smiled devilishly. Jack's socks were so getting knocked off!

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Jack stood outside Buffy's door, five minutes early, a bundle of daisies in his arms. Pacing back and forth, he shoved his hand in his head, then glanced back at his watch. Deciding that he couldn't wait anymore, he knocked on the door and stared at it, willing it to open, until it finally did, and then he lost all sense of thought.

Before him stood Buffy, looking...exquisite. Beautiful in a clinging silk dress in a weird mixture of blue, brown and green, the color reminded him of her eyes. The bodice was tight, with skinny straps. The hem went about two inches above his knees, and she was wearing high heels the same color as her dress. Her blonde hair was put up in an elaborate updo, with a few hairs framing her face.

"You look...wow. Just...wow," he finally stuttered out, feeling like a fool.

"Thanks. You too," Buffy replied, smiling and making his heart skip a beat.

Holding out an arm for her to take and forgetting he was holding flowers, he winced when he saw them in his hand. "Uh, these are for you," he said, thrusting them into her hands.

"Oh, thank you. They're pretty. I'll just go put them in a vase." Buffy turned, giving Jack a tantalizing view of her backside. A few moments later, Buffy returned, and she took the arm Jack offered.

He lead her to a long, white limo. Holding open the door for her, Jack grinned when Buffy raised an eyebrow before sliding in. The ride to the restaurant was comfortable, them talking about mundane things, like how their week had gone and such.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Buffy was impressed at the table they got, knowing that it was hard to get because it was in such a secluded corner. There were candles on the table, and wine chilled and ready to be poured.

Halfway through the meal, as Buffy was explaining about what she was going to do with her self-defense school, and when she was going to start classes, she got the call. The phone was unnaturally loud in the restaurant, but what was more embarrassing was her ring tone.

"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like, it's better than yours, I can teach you but I'd have to charge," was blasted out before Buffy had the chance to answer it. Giving a sheepish grin to Jack, who grinned back at her, Buffy listened to the voice on the other in.

"Okay, Giles. Bye." Hanging up the phone, she bit her lip and glanced at Jack, who was looking at her in interest. "Jack, I'm really sorry, but there's been a family emergency. I wouldn't usually leave, but it's my sister, and after my mother died, I'm all she has, so I need to go. I'm so sorry, but-" Jack interrupted her, holding up his hand.

"Buffy, it's fine. I understand. Let's go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go." He shooed her with his hands. "But you have to give me a call when you get the chance."

"Thanks Jack." Buffy said, grabbing her purse as Jack paid the bill.

"Let's go," he said when he met Buffy at the door.

The ride home passed quickly, and Buffy faced Jack when they got to her apartment door. "I mean it Jack, thank you. And I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"I like the sound of that," he said, smiling boyishly.

On impulse, Buffy leaned on her tip toes and brushed a kiss across his mouth. Jack stood their, mouth agape, as Buffy shut the door. He stood there for a full five minutes before grinning and walking back to the limo, whistling.

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End

Tell me what you think!


	9. Sacrificial Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment

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Rating: K+

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Summary: Buffy explains to Willow and Xander just why she can't be a Scooby anymore.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

****

Note: Thank you to **fairieangel, Toniboo, and Anna **for reviewing!

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Sacrificial Magic

"Okay, so you think that that on the night of the full moon in November, this evil guy is going to come back to life and try to end the world? Now, why is that so familiar?" Buffy asked Giles, standing in the Council headquarters in Italy. Spread on the ground and every available surface were books and junk food.

Willow, sitting next to Kennedy and Xander, glanced up from her book she was reading and looked up at Buffy. "Yes. From what we can tell, it will be here in Italy. We're not sure were, exactly, but that shouldn't be to hard to find."

Xander wiped doughnut crumbs from his mouth and cleared his throat. "He's not a major evil or anything, pretty easy to kill, but it says in the prophecy that only the original Slayer in this generation can truly defeat him. So, you." His one eye not covered by the eye patch had a difficult time meeting Buffy's eyes.

"Okay." Buffy took a deep breath and looked around the room. A few other Slayers sat on tables, chairs and the ground, doing research or listening to their conversation. "Well, I guess I can come back in November, maybe a week before the full moon."

Giles, Willow and Xander all glanced at each other, seeming to urge the other to say something. Buffy had an idea what it was. Finally, Willow spoke.

"Maybe you should just stay here? Move here, I mean?"

"No," Buffy answered abruptly, turning around to face her book.

"Why not?" Xander asked, irritated with the unwavering answer she gave them.

"Because I have a life back in New York."

"Doing what? Opening up a school to teach self-defense? You can do that here," argued Xander, standing up.

Buffy faced him. "No, I can't."

"Why not?" This time it was Willow who asked. By now, the occupants of the room were staring at them, very much interested in the answer.

"Just-just because," Buffy said hopelessly.

Willow began to get angry, also standing up to face her long time friend. "That's not an answer, Buffy. You're going to just quit? Run to New York? Why can't you be here?"

"Because you're here!" Buffy finally said, closing her eyes. "You're all here," she softly said. "I need- I need to be somewhere where you're not. I can't be part of the Scooby Gang, or our Slayer and Slayerette team anymore. In Sunnydale, you showed me that while the Slayer may have people working with her, she is still alone. I made decisions, some decisions that turned out to be mistakes, and you punished me for that. All of you did." She shook her head, looking at the surrounding Slayers. So young, and working so hard.

"You barely knew me, yet you condemned me. I died so all of you could live. And Sunnydale just proved to me that through it all, I will always be alone. So I can't be here, not when you're all here to remind me that I don't belong." Leaning down, she gathered up her stuff and headed towards the door. "If you need me, I'll be in New York," Buffy said before shutting the door on the people who couldn't truly understand the life of the oldest Slayer.

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On the plane ride back to New York, Buffy spent the whole time thinking. Thinking about loneliness and what it was like to be alone. Thinking about Jack and the life New York offered her. But most of all, she thought about what it meant to be the Slayer.

It meant not being able to back down from a fight, no matter how much she wanted to. It meant helping innocent people, even if she thought they didn't deserve it. Being the Slayer meant sacrifice. And that was the word that stuck. Sacrifice. She had to make sacrifices, sacrifices with everything. Most especially herself.

And because being the Slayer meant sacrifice, Buffy had to make a decision. It wasn't fair to Jack to lie to him. To run off at odd moments because her duty, her destiny, called. Buffy really liked him, she really enjoyed being around him, but she knew he deserved more. That's why she was going to break it off before things got to deep. Before she fell deeper into the whole that was love.

First thing in the morning, she was going to his office to talk to him. That resolved, Buffy blinked back her tears at the thought of not being able to experience the joy being with Jack would have brought her.

After all, she was the Slayer. And being the Slayer meant sacrifice.

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End.

Tell me what you think!


	10. Friendly Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment 

Rating: K+

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Summary: Buffy breaks up with Jack.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

****

Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

****

Note: Thanks to **Toniboo, fairieangel, greeneyes, Dilvish, Nikkie, WhiteWolf 3, onlimain, fan, francesca and wolfbainKohaku **for reviewing!

greeneyes: Yeah, I hate stories where everything is just so happy and... _normal_ after what the Scoobs did to her.

Dilvish: Yes, the self-sacrifice crap. I didn't much like the way they portrayed Buffy the last few seasons. She was so dark, not like the Buffy I'm used to.

WhiteWolf 3: Of course Jack isn't going to just accept it point-blank. He'll respect her wishes, of course, but he won't just leave her alone. Thanks for the review!

Onlimain: Okay, long review. Here we go. You raised some valid points that I didn't even think about. I think that the Scoobies couldn't really tell Buffy that they "missed her" because they were kind of uncomfortable and uneasy with the way things went. They don't want to broach the subject, choosing instead to forget that it ever happened. Telling her that she needed to stay in Italy was their way of telling her that they need her, without actually telling her that they need her.

No, Xander wasn't lying when he was telling her about the prophecy. Just uncomfortable with the fact that she could look him in the eye, and he could barely speak to her without feeling guilty. As I said, only Buffy could defeat it, and for her it should be 'pretty easy to kill'. The other Slayers were mistakes, intentional mistakes, but mistakes none the less. Only Buffy can defeat the demon. That's not important, though. The demon is barely going to be mentioned.

No, the Slayers are not all in Italy. I realize the folly of that. It would just be plain stupid. They are scattered throughout the world, but the headquarters are in Italy. Xander and Willow view Buffy staying in New York as kind of running away, of abandoning her Destiny. Buffy wouldn't tell them about Jack because she doesn't feel that close to them anymore.

Sorry for not explaining all this in the story, but I'm trying to cut down on my words and make the chapters shorter. Thanks for reviewing!

fan: Yeah, Jude Deveraux is just an awesome author. I'm so glad she's not one of those authors who doesn't like fans to write fan fiction about their stories. It sucks that Nora Roberts is one of those authors, though, because I would love to write stories with her characters. Thanks for the compliments. That makes me happy.

francesca: Well, Jack is pretty normal. Wonder how he'll react when he finds out Buffy's un-normalness.

WolfbainKohaku: I was wearing a shirt with a picture of a milkshake on it, and I that song just popped into my head. Thanks for the review!

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Friendly Magic

The next morning, after arriving home from Italy after midnight, Buffy realized that just marching to Jack's office and breaking up with him wouldn't be the best idea. So, she called at 11:00 instead. At first she couldn't reach Jack because he was in a meeting, but she left a message with his secretary for him to call her whenever he had the chance.

Fifteen minutes later, the phone rang and Buffy nervously answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Buffy. It's Jack. Is everything okay with your sister?"

Buffy smiled softly, more sad than she was before because Jack remembered her excuse for leaving their date. She had told him it was her sister, but it was really just the prophecy Giles found. Great, now she felt guilty for wanting to break it off with Jack.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just some school problems. Listen, Jack, I need to speak with you. Is there any way I can meet with you?" She asked.

"Of course. I'm free at 12:00. We can go to lunch," Jack suggested.

"I can't," Buffy said regretfully. "I have someone I need to interview at 12:30. It will only take a minute, though, so I'll just come by your office. How's that?"

"Fine. Come on by. My office is on the third floor."

"Thanks, Jack. See you," and then she hung up.

Flopping onto her bed, Buffy practiced what she was going to say.

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The minute Buffy walked into Jack's office, he shut the door after her and then drew her into his arms. Buffy closed her eyes as Jack slowly kissed her, savoring the feeling, knowing she wouldn't have this anymore.

"I missed you," Jack whispered when he lifted his head.

"Jack, we need to talk," Buffy said, stepping out of his embrace and straightening her shirt.

Jack didn't like the way she said that, or the look in her eyes. She seemed...regretful. Sad, somehow. Shaking his head, he told his thoughts to shut up and gestured Buffy towards a chair, knowing that he wouldn't like what she had to say.

Ignoring the proffered seat, Buffy looked around Jack's office. Comfy chairs, good artwork. She wandered towards a picture on the wall. It was of a woman, dancing. Her dress was floating around, her hair flying. It was poetry, beautiful.

"It's lovely," Buffy said, turning her head to look at Jack.

"I bought it the other day," Jack told her, not mentioning that he had bought it because it had reminded him of her.

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Quit stalling! Buffy reprimanded herself, turning her whole body to face Jack. She studied him, his handsome features, muscular body incased in a gray pinstriped suit. "I don't think this is going to work." Buffy blurted out, wincing because she hadn't meant to be quite so blunt.

Jack blinked, wondering if he had heard her incorrectly. "Excuse me?" He asked.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy finally sat down just as Jack stood up. "I like you Jack, I really do. But I don't think I can do this."

"This? What's this?"

"This," Buffy pointed to herself and Jack. "Us. I don't think this can work."

"And why not?" Jack asked angrily. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Buffy was breaking up with him?

"I... I've been going through a lot these last few years. I need to have some time alone, some time to start my life here. I want us to be friends, Jack, because the last thing I want is to lose your friendship." Buffy said, hoping she just hadn't destroyed her chances of still being friends with him.

Friends? She wanted to be friends? _Fine, _Jack thought, an idea forming in his head. _I know what she felt when we kissed. That was in no way a kiss of friendship. We'll be friends, but who says it'll stay that way?_ He'll respect her wishes, of course, and if, in the end, she really does just want to be friends, he'll understand. But until then, there was no way he was going to just take it laying down. He grinned smugly, knowing that, deep inside, Buffy wanted to be more than friends.

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Tell me what you think! 


	11. Family Magic

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Title: This Magic Moment

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Rating: K+

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Summary: Buffy gets a taste of Jack's family, up close and personal.

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Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

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Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

Note: Thanks to **kristy, faroffdream, irina, WhiteWolf3, francesca, Toniboo, greeneyes3048, c-wolf, sparky24, onlimain, 7vampire, and Claddagh **for the wonderful reviews!

faroffdream: Well, both Jack and Buffy are very stubborn people. I'm hoping to wrap this up with happy ending in the next five or so chapters, though. Thanks for the review!

irina: Yeah, I agree that the scene was a little abrupt. Sure, Buffy's relationship with the Scoobies defines her, but the Scoobies aren't Buffy's whole life, just as the Scoobies have shown that Buffy is not their whole life when they betrayed her. As you can see, she doesn't completely remove herself from them. She has offered her help with whatever they might need, she just needs to grow on her own and she knows that. Thanks for the review, and I totally understand your points.

WhiteWolf3: Don't be embarrassed. I have a horrible memory, so I always forget things and I have to reread it. I said in one of the earlier chapters, I can't remember which, that Angel is head of Wolfram and Hart and he is Buffy's lawyer. I love Buffy/Angel, but I feel like it's good to branch out with her romances. Thanks for reviewing.

sparky24: Well, these aren't exactly supposed to be chapters, more like drabble type things. Y'know? But I'll make the next chapter/drabble/section longer, OK? Thanks for the review!

onlimain: Dang, I hoped nobody would notice I didn't mention Dawn! For the sake of not wanting to write about her, let's just say she's at Oxford, ok? Thanks for the review!

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Family Magic

"I can't go in there."

"Yes, you can."

"No, I can't."

"Can too."

"Can not."

"Can too."

"Can no-you know what, I'm not going to argue with you over this, Buffy. It's not going to kill you."

"Yeah, Jack. It probably will. They're like a pack of hungry wolves, ready to rip me to shreds. Look, I think that one is salivating."

"Buffy, that salivating wolf is my 75 year-old Aunt Gertie," Jack said impatiently, tugging the reluctant Slayer by the hand into the throng of Montgomery's and Taggert's. It had been a month since Jack had decided to be Buffy's "friend", and he still had not cracked at the wall of reserve she had shot up around her. They would go to the movies together, eat dinner together, even go shopping together on excursions that Buffy refused to call dates, but of which Jack had classified into the date category in his mind.

The time of month had arrived for another family "get-together", which was actually more like a family reunion that happened four times a year, and Jack had invited Buffy. Not wanting to seem rude, and quite curious about the people that Jack had grown up around, she had accepted. However, when they had pulled up at the park that would hold the reunion, Buffy had blanched and almost jumped out of the car and ran home. It was only because of Jack's hand on her arm, and her need to appear strong and fearless, she had stopped herself from running and hiding in her room.

There were millions of them. Surely billions. Buffy conceded that maybe she was exaggerating, but it sure as heck didn't look like she was. There were so many of them! Kids galloping to and fro, adults milling about. It seemed that most of the kids were triplets, maybe even quadruplets. When she had mentioned her thought to Jack, he had only laughed and assured her that, no, there wasn't more than one of each, except for a few sets of twins, and that the only reason she had assumed there were so many was because they were so fast, flitting around the park, seeming to be in two places at once.

This got Buffy to thinking that maybe this family was magical, and their talent was reproducing and maybe even disappearing and reappearing, because there was a little girl, and suddenly she was gone, and there she was over there with the little boys! And then what should happen? She would seem to get lost in the crowd and suddenly show up at the edge of the family, staring at Buffy with the most peculiar look.

Matching the look, the Slayer drew her eyebrows together in confusion as the little girl continued to gaze at Buffy with an odd expression on her pixie face. Tugging on her hand, Jack led Buffy towards a small group sitting at a picnic table. Distracted, she lost track of the impish girl and saw Julie Taggert sitting with the group of women.

"Mom!" Jack called, waving to a woman who had seemed to have grown more beautiful with age, because who could be so beautiful when they were young? Suddenly feeling self-conscious in her jeans and tank top approaching a group of women who were dignified in their clothing and beautiful in their faces, Buffy tugged her shirt down to make sure it covered her belly and wished she had worn her sundress instead. The woman waved back to Jack, then laughed at something Julie said.

Drawing closer, Buffy yanked her hand from Jack's when a few of the women glanced at it questioningly with raised eyebrows, earning a weird look from Jack. As Jack's mother rose and hugged her son, Buffy took the opportunity to finger-brush her hair.

"Hello, you must be Buffy. My name is Stephanie," Jack's mother said, smiling warmly, albeit warily, holding her hand out.

"Nice to met you Stephanie," Buffy said, shaking her hand firmly, smiling as Stephanie Montgomery introduced the women still gazing at her in curiosity. Greeting Julie, she chatted with her for a few moments about how her building and her defense school was going. Getting comfortable, she barely noticed when Jack sidled away to a group of men. Engrossed in conversation with the group of women, Buffy glanced up when she felt a stare boring into her. She frowned when she saw it was the little girl from before.

"Who is that?" She asked Stephanie, nodding her head to the child who stood in the crowd of family yet seemed to be held apart.

Stephanie, who had been surprised by Buffy and her whole personality, quite used to the usual bimbos Jack brought over, glanced at Tierney Montgomery, who was staring avidly at Buffy. "That's Tierney. She's the daughter of my brother-in-law Roger Montgomery. She's a quiet child, which is unusual in this family. Tierney was in a car accident about 3 years ago when she was 6. Her mother was killed instantly. She hasn't been the same since."

Buffy nodded sympathetically, still gazing at the little girl, now recognizing the expression on her face; and it was sadness, a deep longing, maybe for something she couldn't have anymore.

As the conversation flowed around her, Buffy found she couldn't keep her mind off the little girl who seemed to have lost one of the people who she loved most on this Earth. Being able to relate to the experience of losing a mother, Buffy knew what Tierney must be thinking. That no matter what people say about how they understood what she was feeling, it couldn't be true because they couldn't possibly understand the feeling of utter grief that overtook you, the rush of just plain longing you felt whenever you witnessed someone with a mother, and you just felt like that should be you, that you shouldn't be feeling this way and it just was not fair!

Excusing herself from the group of women who had kept chatting merrily, and feeling an unfair feeling of anger towards them for that, Buffy rose from her chair, not noticing the looks she received or the gazes that followed her form as she moved towards the lonesome Tierney. In the little girl's arms was a doll, and it so reminded Buffy of the doll her mother had gotten her when she was a child that it briefly brought a bout of tears to her eyes before she ruthlessly blinked them away.

Kneeling before the child, she smiled softly and spoke. "Hi. I'm Buffy. What's your name?" She asked, even though she already knew.

"Tierney," she replied in a soft voice, Buffy's ears straining to hear her over the loud crowd.

"Well, Tierney, that is such a lovely dress. And your doll is so pretty," Buffy grinned at her, getting a small smile in return. "You know what?" She asked conspiratorially. "I had the a doll just like it when I was a little girl. She was my best friend," the Slayer told her, smiling in reminiscence.

"Really?" Tierney asked hopefully, hugging the doll closer to her chest.

"Yep. You want to go over to that bench and sit down? We don't want to get your dress all dirty," Buffy asked, gesturing towards an empty bench a little bit away, smiling when Tierney nodded. Taking her by the hand, she chattered to the little girl about whatever that came to mind.

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Stephanie watched the scene with a smile on her face, heaving a sigh of relief when Tierney followed Buffy and sat next to her, seeming to go into a deep conversation with the blonde woman. Standing up and walking towards her husband, who stood in a group of men that included Jack and Roger, Tierney's father, she slid her arms around James' waist and tucked her head against his shoulder.

"Jack, look at where your girlfriend has run off to," she said, smiling mischievously up at her husband, who got a suspicious look on his face and followed Jack's line of vision.

Inhaling sharply, he got a smile of disbelief and hope on his face and then he nudged Roger out of conversation with his older brother Tom.

"What?" He asked his brother, who only nodded at something out of sight. Shifting to see better, he froze. There was his daughter, smiling. Laughing with the woman Jack had brought. Seeing this brought a wave of tears to Rogers eyes, and he didn't bother hiding them. One escaped when the blonde woman reached a hand up and ran it through Tierney's black hair. She hadn't allowed anybody to really touch her, save her father, since her mother's death. And to see a total stranger hold Tierney riveted, Roger felt such emotion that he didn't know what to do.

"Who," he started out, but he had to clear his throat. "Who is that?" He asked, turning to Jack.

"Buffy," his nephew replied, staring at the blonde girl in a kind of adoration. "Buffy Summers. And she's mine," Jack added possessively.

That cleared the tears from Rogers eyes as he laughed and clapped Jack on the shoulder. "And you should keep it that way," he said, gazing tenderly at his daughter.

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"Nothing's going on," Buffy protested for what felt like the millionth time. She glanced at Julie Taggert exasperatingly, who only shrugged unhelpfully and grinned at her cousins, who had surrounded Buffy and were now grilling her. Grimacing, Buffy ran her hand through her hair, messing it up and not caring anymore. "Nothing is going on with me and Jack. We're just friends," she repeated.

"Right," one of the cousins said, and for the life of her, Buffy couldn't remember her name. "Like someone, a female that is, is really friends with someone like Jack."

"Well, I am. Besides, he's not my type." Buffy told them, shaking her head in amusement.

"What is your type?"

"Let's not get into that," Buffy replied, not wanting to share her intimate details with people she hardly knew.

"Girls, girls. Enough. Leave the poor girl alone," Julie said, laughing. "Let's talk about something else. Like your upcoming wedding, Elsie. Tell us how he proposed."

Buffy tuned them out for a few minutes, gazing through the crowd of family that were still milling around, even though it was closing in on ten. Not finding Jack, she sighed in disappointment before realizing that the group of women were staring at her expectantly. She flushed guiltily. "I'm sorry. What?"

"It's okay," Julie said, giggling. "We were wondering how you would like to be proposed to when the time comes."

Knowing there was no way to avoid this subject since she had refused to talk about the other topic that came up, Buffy sighed and got ready to reveal the little girl dream she had always had. She never realized that Jack had gotten into hearing distance, and he was also very interested in her answer.

"Well," she began, "ever since I was a little girl, I've had this little fantasy. It was never really descriptive or conclusive, but I just knew how I would want to get proposed to." Buffy smiled at herself. "It would have to be big. It doesn't have to be expensive, but I want some kind of gesture that tells the world that the guy that it proposing really loves me, and he really wants to marry me. Make it a surprise, kind of hit me with it when I'm not expecting it. And I would want him to make it fun," she added, laughing at the riveted faces of the cousin's. Buffy sighed dreamily, really getting into it. "Make me want to say yes, like that is what I am going to expect my whole life, then I can't live without it. Without him. And I don't want the ring to be so traditional. Maybe something with color. And I want it to be silver, because gold on me looks tacky. Fake. Maybe I'm just dreaming, though," Buffy shook her head, breaking the spell that had fallen over the women.

As they all laughed at themselves, Jack approached and threw an arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Ready?" He asked her.

Buffy nodded, really needing to get home to change for Slaying. Saying good-bye to everyone, which took a long time because there were so many of them, Buffy finally reached a drooping Tierney. Pulling a business card from her pocket, she scribbled her home phone and cell phone numbers on the back and handed it to her. "If you ever need to talk, give me a call anytime, anywhere. Okay?"

"Okay," the little girl nodded, then leaned forward and kissed Buffy on the cheek. Stroking Tierney's soft hair, Buffy smiled, then stood and left with Jack.

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Tell me what you think!


	12. Magic of Alcohol

**Title: **This Magic Moment

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Buffy and Jack come to realize a few things.Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

**Feedback:** I would most certainly appreciate it!

**Notes:** Thanks to WolfbainKohaku, Toniboo, spk, ann, onlimain, WhiteWolf 3, and fan for the wonderful reviews!

WolfbainKohaku: I'm glad I got you to think something that you normally don't! I felt sorry for Tierney too, and I'm glad I added her to the story. I just figured Buffy needs someone who understands the pain of losing a mother, besides her sister. Thanks for reviewing.

Spk: I just think Buffy would be tired of living in secret, and just having people not notice things that she would want something as exciting as her getting proposed to noticed.

Ann: I'll probably include Tierney more. Who knows, maybe I'll write a story about her and her father!

Onlimain: Hmm…when will Buffy tell Jack about her being the Slayer? Don't worry, it'll be soon.

WhiteWolf 3: Last time, it was dark, and even though Buffy can see really well in the dark, she was preoccupied. Maybe she just didn't see anybody familiar.

Fan: I'm glad you cried. It makes me happy. Thanks for the review!

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Magic of Alcohol

"I think Daredevil is totally cool. I mean, look at his moves. And he's blind! Electra is good and all, but in a fight, I think DD would totally kick her leather-clad ass."

"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy. You just don't understand. Daredevil may have some kick ass moves, but Electra has got it going on. Look at his moves? Look at her moves! She totally decimated that sand bag."

"Please. It was a sand bag, for hell's sake. Anyone can do that. You just think that she looks hot in all that leather."

"Well, that too," Jack agreed, laughing at the disgusted look on Buffy's face.

Buffy reached over to grab her wine from the coffee table, not realizing, or perhaps even caring, that it was her third glass. A month and a half after meeting Jack's family, and they were still "friends". She would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't disappointed, when the truth was she was very disappointed. However, she was a proud woman, and going back on her decision to stay friends would be like admitting she was wrong, and Buffy hated to be wrong.

It was a Saturday night, and instead of going out, Jack and Buffy had opted to stay in for a night of watching movies, eating a bunch of food and downing alcoholic beverages. Sitting on his comfy couch in his beautiful home, Buffy gave Jack a small smile before turning back to the movie currently playing on his big screen TV.

Jack ignored the scene that was playing, watching Buffy instead as she sipped her wine and laughed at something funny the actor had said. He followed her finger as it swirled around the top of her wine glass, and almost went cross-eyed when she bit her lip, then swept over it with her tongue. It seemed like a million years later until the movie was over, and Jack was on his fourth glass of wine and already tipsy. He could guess by Buffy's expression that she was too. Standing up was difficult, but he finally managed to reach the TV and turn it off.

Buffy squeezed her eyes shut and blinked hard. "Do you have a twin, Jack?" She asked, her words slightly slurred.

"No, why?" Jack asked, confused. He looked behind him at something Buffy was avidly staring at.

"Well, there seem to be two of you. Hello, Jack Two!" Buffy waved to the second Jack, then started laughing when both Jacks got similar looks of confusion. Jack soon joined in her laughter, and Buffy felt like she was going to pee her pants if she didn't stop laughing soon.

"I think your drunk!" Jack exclaimed, pointing a hand in Buffy's general vicinity, then grabbing it to hold it steady on the pretty girl sitting on his couch.

"No, you're drunk!" Buffy said, trying to glare at him and only succeeding to make a face that looked like she was in pain.

"No, I'm not!" Jack replied, flopping on the couch and facing Buffy.

"Yes, you are!" Buffy told him, bringing her face closer.

"You know what?" Jack whispered.

"What?" Buffy asked, eyes wide.

"I really want to kiss you right now," he told her, frowning because he knew that he shouldn't have said that, and that for some reason they weren't supposed to kiss. He forgot what he was thinking, though, when Buffy nodded. The next thing Jack knew, he was laying half on her, kissing her like he had never kissed anyone before. And the best thing was, she was kissing him back.

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Buffy groaned when the light hit her eyes, causing her head to pound like a kettle drum. Stretching, she yawned, and even that hurt. Man, that must've been a rough night of Slaying, she thought, turning on to her side. Her bed smelt...different. More masculine. She mentally shrugged before cracking open her eyes, and what she saw made them spring wide open as she gasped loudly. 

Jack's eyes shot open, then he moaned as the sun shone into the sensitive retinas. He brought a hand to his head to try to hold his brain in before he realized what he had seen when his eyes had opened. They shot open once again, and his mouth opened in surprise. Buffy?

"Buffy?"

"Jack?"

They simultaneously looked down at their bodies, groaning when they saw their lack of clothing.

"Oh, God." They said in unison.

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Staring down at her cup of coffee, Buffy peeked up at Jack, then looked back down when she realized he was staring at her. She cleared her throat, then bit her lip when nothing came out of her mouth. Speak! Come on, you've been doing it your whole life. Just say something. Anything! 

"So," was all that came out, and then she winced at her lameness.

"I guess we should talk about this," Jack said, wanting nothing more than to hide in his room than have this discussion.

"Yeah."

It was silent before Buffy sighed in frustration.

"Look. We're both consenting adults. We were a little drunk last night, these things happen. Right?"

"Right," Jack agreed, nodding firmly. They were quiet before Jack sighed. "I think I should confess something."

"Go ahead."

"Hmm...Well...I don't want to be friends, Buffy," he blurted out, then grimaced at how that sounded.

She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head. "I know," she whispered. "Maybe this friend thing wasn't such a good idea," she said, laughing at her understatement. Buffy started to get up, gathering her purse to leave.

Jack shot out his hand, grabbing her wrist to stop her. Buffy stared down at his hand gripping her thin wrist. His arm was strong looking, next to her seemingly delicate one, but Buffy knew that her arm could break through a wall, certainly his grip, but she didn't want to for some reason. She raised her eyes to meet his blue ones.

"I want more than that, Buffy. I want more than friends." He yanked her onto his lap, kissing her before she could protest. When they finally came up for air, her eyes were unfocused and her mouth red.

"Good," was all she said before fisting her hands in his hair and yanking his face to hers.

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End 

Tell me what you think!


	13. Magical Snowfall

Title: This Magic Moment

Rating: K+

Summary: Jack lets something slip.

Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

Feedback: I would most certainly appreciate it!

Author's Notes: Thanks to WolfbainKohaku, nasta1970, onlimain, fan, Anna, sunnysideup, and Toniboo for reviewing.

fan: hmm...marriage. I think you're getting somewhere.

Anna: I don't think Buffy would be able to have a relationship with someone without letting them know about her other side.

sunnysideup: I'm glad you check just to see if my story is updated. Here is the next one, I hope that it's soon enough!

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It was three and a half months later, on December 5th, when Jack's and Buffy's relationship took a turn neither one of them expected. Even with all Buffy's Slayer intuition, she never could have perceived this unexpected twist.

Laying in Buffy's arms where it felt so right, Jack gazed at Buffy's sleeping face, drinking in the features that he had come to adore. She was changing, becoming more relaxed and open to life with him. When he had first met her, she had walls of reserve up, almost as if she was in a steel cage and she was the one with the key. He was glad to see that she accepted the fact that he wasn't going anywhere.

Glancing at the clock, Jack groaned when he realized it was 4:30. He had an hour until he had to get up and get ready for work. His groan woke Buffy, her eyes shooting open, then blinking fuzzily, smiling sleepily. Her hazel eyes closed briefly, then opened wide with a squeal when Jack's warm fingers probed her bare ribs. Giggling, she gave him a light shove before rolling on top of him.

"Morning," Buffy said, tapping his nose.

"Morning, sleepy head," Jack replied, giving her a quick kiss that turned passionate. Dragging his lips from hers, he stared at Buffy, who was looking a little fuzzy-brained. Deciding that he didn't need that extra hour of sleep, Jack was about to commence with kissing the beautiful blonde smiling at him when he felt something...cold press against his side. Yelping, he looked in shock at the grinning Otis, who was looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Buffy laughed, giving the dog a scratch behind the ears before laying her head on Jack's chest, sighing contentedly. It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing outside the window. Gasping loudly, Buffy sprang up and grabbed her robe before rushing to the window, causing Jack to look around widely.

"What? What?" He asked in concern, jumping up to stand behind a rapturous Buffy, who was staring hard through the window. Jack didn't see anything unusual. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriends waist, he rested his chin on top of her head. "All I see is snow."

"That's just it, Jack. Snow!" Buffy exclaimed excitedly. "I lived in California, remember? The only time it snowed was when I was 18. This is my second time experiencing it. C'mon, lets go outside," she grinned up at him, tugging on his hand and leading him towards the dresser where she had her own drawer. She even had closet space. Jack groaned theatrically, but got dressed anyway because he didn't like saying no to Buffy.

The Slayer pulled on layers of clothes, including a fat jacket filled with feathers and cute fuzzy boots that were pink to match her coat. She quickly brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her hair before jamming on a hat. Buffy shifted impatiently from foot to foot as Jack took his time in getting dressed. "Hurry up," she finally said, glaring when he laughed at her.

Running ahead of her boyfriend, Buffy made it outside and stopped to gaze in wonder at the total whiteness of Jack's yard and the trees surrounding it. She skipped through the snow, leaving the first tracks and loving it. Jack followed more slowly, smiling as Buffy laughed in delight.

Reaching Buffy, who was standing in the middle of the yard with her head tipped to the sky, eyes closed at snow flakes coated her lashes and pale cheeks, Jack just watched her enjoy herself. Getting a devious idea, Jack slowly bent over and grabbed a handful of snow, rolling it into a ball before letting it fly. Buffy started when the snowball hit her in the arm, squinting at a quilty looking Jack, who was pointing at an innocent squirrel.

Pursing her lips, she marched forward, not noticing the patch of ice at her feet until it was too late. Buffy, usually a very graceful person, didn't feel graceful at all when she fell flat on her butt. Jack started laughing before realizing the folly of his action, and tried to cover it up with a cough. An obviously unconvinced Buffy shook her head at him.

"Well?" She asked, arching a brow. "Are you going to help me up or what?"

"Of course," Jack replied, holding out his hand.

However, Jack's apparent amusement at Buffy's expense wasn't going to go unpunished as Buffy grabbed his hand and pulled him down on the ice. Laughing at his affronted expression, Buffy leaned over and gave him a little kiss before jumping up.

"C'mon. Let's build a snowman and a snowwoman," she said, grinning wickedly.

The next half an hour passed in a blur as Jack and Buffy raced to build their snowperson first. It came to a draw in the end as Buffy took her hat off and placed on her snowwoman. Jack and Buffy stood back, Buffy with a proud look on her face.

"Mine's cuter," she told Jack, who got an indignant look on his face.

"No way. Mine is cuter. I mean, he's more handsome."

"They make a good couple."

Jack ran his fingers through Buffy's hair, grinning when she shook her hair out. "Let's make snow angels," he suggested, flopping on his back.

"Good idea."

They lay there for a few minutes, Buffy gazing at the rising sun and Jack staring at her profile. He didn't know why he said it. But a feeling of completeness overtook him, and he just felt as if he couldn't go on without saying it.

"I love you."

* * *

End

Tell me what you think!


	14. The Magic of You

**Title:** This Magic Moment

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** Jack gets the shock of his life.

**Disclaimer:** I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

**Feedback:** I would most certainly appreciate it!

**Authors Note:** Thanks to **spk, Anna, fanforlife, Toniboo, WolfbainKohaku, and onlimain** for reviewing!

fanforlife: no, I haven't read that book. What's it called? It sounds interesting. Thanks for the review!

onlimain: Well, she does freak out. Read on, and you'll see what happens. Thank you for reviewing!

Well, this is the second to last chapter for This Magic Moment. Don't forget to review!

* * *

_Previously on This Magic Moment:_

_Buffy Summers had a philosophy. She believed that life, in general, had a lot of strange curves, and that the only way to survive was to roll with the punches and make do with what you had._

_

* * *

Maybe she could convince Giles that New York was the right place for her.

* * *

_

_There was a very familiar man stepping into a taxi. Taking a step forward, Buffy's eyes widened when she realized it was Jack._

_Buffy maneuvered her car backwards, then cursed when she hit something with a loud crunch.

* * *

_

_There, painting one wall, was the woman. The very same woman he had been thinking about for at least a month. _

_Jack nodded to himself, decision made. He walked towards the mystery woman, all thoughts off Buffy Summers and his cousin gone from his mind._

_"You're here to sue me, aren't you?" Buffy blurted out._

_"I'm not here to sue you," Jack told her. _I'm here to date you_, he thought.

* * *

_

_Finally giving up the act of being composed and business like, she grinned, laughed, then tried to imitate Xander's Snoopy dance. Failing miserably, what came out were weird, twitchy movements._

_Buffy stared at Jack's card for a few minutes, then grinned. Yep, she was so ready to be a cookie.

* * *

_

_"Hi, Jack__. This is Buffy Summers. I'm back from Italy, and if you're still up for dinner, give me a call. Bye."

* * *

_

_He felt breathless, which surprised him because he had never been breathless from a woman before._

_And then she kissed him.

* * *

_

"_You're all here," she softly said. "I need- I need to be somewhere where you're not. I can't be part of the Scooby Gang, or our Slayer and Slayerette team anymore. In Sunnydale, you showed me that while the Slayer may have people working with her, she is still alone. I made decisions, some decisions that turned out to be mistakes, and you punished me for that. All of you did. You barely knew me, yet you condemned me. I died so all of you could live. And Sunnydale just proved to me that through it all, I will always be alone. So I can't be here, not when you're all here to remind me that I don't belong." _

_She was going to break it off before things got to deep._

_After all, she was the Slayer. And being the Slayer meant sacrifice.

* * *

_

_"I want more than that, Buffy. I want more than friends." He yanked her onto his lap, kissing her before she could protest. When they finally came up for air, her eyes were unfocused and her mouth red._

_"Good," was all she said before fisting her hands in his hair and yanking his face to hers.

* * *

_

_They lay there for a few minutes, Buffy gazing at the rising sun and Jack staring at her profile. He didn't know why he said it. But a feeling of completeness overtook him, and he just felt as if he couldn't go on without saying it._

_"I love you."

* * *

The Magic of You_

Buffy's eyes widened and she froze. Oh, God, she thought. Did he just say what I think he said? She glanced over at Jack, who was also wide-eyed and surprised. Yep, he did.

"Jack," she began, then paused to reorganize her thoughts. "Jack, don't say that. Not when you don't mean it."

"But I do, Buffy," Jack protested, sitting up and scattering snow as he shook his head. "I do mean it. And I'm sorry for just saying it the way I did, just blurting it out, but I'm not sorry that I did say it. I love you."

Buffy also sat up, then shoved herself to a standing position, which put her in the uncomfortable position of having to look down at Jack. "Stop saying that," she pleaded desperately. "You don't know what you're saying. Just-just don't."

"Don't what, Buffy? Don't feel? Don't feel the way I do? That's an unfair thing of you to ask me. And you can't tell me that you don't feel anything towards me, because I felt it whenever we were together. Give it a chance. What have you got to lose?" Jack stood up, his height giving him a distinct advantage over the much shorter Buffy.

The Slayer dragged her hands over her face, not wanting to listen but knowing that there was a part of her that wanted to believe Jack's feelings. That same part was telling her that maybe she felt the same way. But she was scared, and she wasn't ashamed to admit it, if only to herself. She was scared of the way she felt, of who she was, and of walking away from Jack and never again feeling the way she felt when she was with him.

There was also the issue of her being the Slayer. And Buffy knew that in order for her to finally admit that she was ready for love, she would have to be honest with Jack.

"Jack, there are some things about me that you don't know. Important things. There's something I need to tell you."

* * *

Jack zoned out as his mother and father discussed a case during a staff meeting, resting his hand on his fist and staring into space. He sighed, inadvertently drawing attention to himself from his mother. She tuned out her husband as she stared at her son in confusion. Eventually, James noticed his wife's and son's inattention, causing him to trail off and gaze at them in question. A few moments passed before Jack finally realized that both his parents were looking at him with weird expressions on their faces. 

"What?" He asked defensively.

Stephanie raised her eyebrow, silently chastising her son's lack of attention. James dismissed the two other lawyers, who walked out with amused smiles gracing their features. "What's going on?" Stephanie asked, cutting the bullshit.

"Nothing important," Jack replied, not meeting his mothers eyes.

"Bull. The only time you were this distracted and defensive was when you were fourteen and your cousins high school friends were over for cheerleading practice. It's Buffy, isn't it?" James asked, his shrewd gaze meeting an uncomfortable Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes, cursing the fact that his parents seemed to know him so well. "Yes, it's Buffy." They were all silent, and Jack felt the weight of his parents' stares, finally caving in under the pressure. "I told her that I love her."

Stephanie squealed, clapping her hands in delight. James grinned proudly, slapping him on the back. "Oh, my baby. When are you going to give me grandchildren?"

"Ma! I didn't say we were getting married," Jack protested loudly.

"But you want to, right?"

"Yes," he answered sheepishly.

"What did she say?" James asked, breaking out a bottle of scotch.

Jack sobered. "She didn't answer me. Buffy said that there were things about her that I didn't know, and she had something to tell me. We're meeting at her place tonight at nine."

"What do you think it is?" Stephanie asked, her forehead creasing in a frown.

"I guess I'll find out tonight."

* * *

Buffy nervously twirled a lock of hair around her finger, sitting in Jack's car as they headed towards Central Park. This was a big step, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. As she distinctly recalled, the one time she had told a significant other about her double life, it had ended in disaster. She was on the point of hyperventilating, to say the least, and she could feel the curious and reproachful looks Jack kept shooting her, and that really wasn't helping her. 

Finally they reached the park, and Buffy silently exited the car and waited for Jack to join her. When he reached her side, she turned to face him.

"Okay, this is how it is going to go," she started out before taking a deep breath. "I want you to stay behind me, no matter what happens. Do you hear me, Jack? No matter what happens, you stay behind me." Buffy waited for his nod, and it was hesitant, which worried her. She pulled out a stake and held it up. "Keep this with you. If everything goes as planned, you won't need it, but just in case."

"What are we doing? Hunting vampires?" Jack joked, confused as he stared down at the piece of wood in his hand.

"Exactly," Buffy replied, causing Jack to stop abruptly in shock. Sighing, she turned around to face him. "Into every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer."

"And you're saying this Slayer person is you?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Yes. And don't look at me like I'm crazy. I'm not crazy, Jack."

"Well, you've got to admit that this whole thing is insane, honey. I mean, it's not everyday my girlfriend tells me that she's some mystical vampire Slayer."

"I know that, Jack. Look, do you want proof? Then follow me," she turned around and started walking without waiting to see if he would follow. She really hoped a vampire showed up, because if one didn't, she would look like a total fruitcake.

It seemed that luck was shining down on her, however, because not too long afterwards a hand shot up from the grave and clawed at the air. Jack let out a manly yell and jumped back as Buffy just calmly looked at the flailing hand.

"What is that?" Jack asked, horror written on his face.

Buffy ignored him and kept looking at the hand. After a few moments, she got impatient and grabbed the hand, yanking the person up. It was a woman in a very revealing black dress.

"Thanks," she said, dusting herself off.

"Oh, sure. No problem. You've got a little dirt on your leg," Buffy said, pointing.

"Hmm...Well, this won't do. It's stained my dress."

"Soak it for an hour, it'll come right off," Buffy suggested.

"Really? When I was alive, I just threw it away. Well, I'm going to have to kill you."

"You're going to try to kill me, but you won't."

And then they fought. Jack just stared in astonishment as Buffy beat the hell out of a woman that was just pulled from her grave. The moves she used were incredible. He knew that she was proficient in karate, but not to this extent. Just then, Buffy pulled out a piece of wood like the one in his hand. Jack felt his eyes widen when she plunged the sharp implement into the woman's chest.

"Buffy! What are you-" he suddenly stopped when they were both enveloped in dust. Coughing, he waved it away before noticing that only Buffy stood in front of him and the woman was gone. "What happened?" He asked, even though he already had a pretty good idea.

"That," Buffy said, flicking dust off her sleeve, "was a vampire."

"Oh, geez."

"Jack, go home. Think about this. I have some thinking that I need to do," Buffy told him, laying her hand on his cheek for a moment before leaving.

Jack stood there, stunned, before turning back to his car. He had a headache.

* * *

It was the next day, and Buffy had a migraine. She had spent the whole night tossing and turning, telling herself that she needed to pack her bags and leave. She believed that Jack wouldn't accept her for her Slayerness, so she figured she might as well just leave. But she wasn't a quitter, and Buffy didn't take no for an answer. Escpecially when she had been feelingan emotion she didn't want to name. To put a name on that emotion and to call itlove wasbeyond the imagination.It was especially difficult for Buffy, whowas a woman who believed she was quite incapable of being in love after experiencing the heartache of that emotion numerous times. Yet her she was, possibly more in love than sheever was before. Andthe best thing was that she was okay with that.

So here she was, standing outside Montgomery Law, working up the nerve to go inside.

Finally, she mentally rolled her eyes and walked in, knowing that the worst thing that would happen would be Jack throwing her out. Briskly walking to the elevator, she pushed the button for Jack's floor and winced when the doors opened with a ding and she saw Jack standing there. He didn't see her as he entered until the doors closed and he looked up from the papers in her hands.

"Buffy!" He said in surprise.

The Slayer reached over and hit the stop button, causing the elevator to come to a grinding halt.

"We need to talk," she told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah. We do," Jack replied, leaning against the wall.

"Let me speak first. I tried. I really did. I kept telling myself to just turn away, walk away, but I couldn't do it. And I would go through all the reasons why I shouldn't stay, like the fact that, y'know, I'm the Slayer, I'm supposed to be alone, things are too dangerous, but nothing seemed like a good enough reason because then I would think about the way you make me feel when you look at me. And I like that. I like the way you make me feel. Like maybe the Slayer isn't always supposed to be alone. And maybe being the Slayer doesn't mean sacrifice. Maybe it means something more. I need something more, and dammit, I deserve something more."

"Buffy, I-" Jack began before Buffy cut him off.

"No. I need to finish this. I have not led an easy life. Far from it, actually. But I need something that let's me now that I can have some semblance of normalcy. I need you. I love you, Jack."

"It's about time," he said, smiling. He yanked her close, dropping his papers. "I love you Buffy. No matter who, or what, you are. I love you." And then he kissed her, pushing her against the wall.

Neither one realized that they hit the stop button, and the elevator finished it's ascent and the doors opened. And neither one of them heard the delighted gasp of Jack's mother, or saw the shocked and proud looks Jack's father James and brother Duncan sported. All they knew was that they held each other, and they had finally found someone worth all the heartache of love.

* * *

End

Tell me what you think!


	15. My Magic Moment

**Title: **This Magic Moment

**Rating: **K+

**Summary: **Buffy gets a surprise.

**Disclaimer: **I claim ownership of nothing except the plot. Buffy belongs to Whedon, and the Montgomery's and Taggert's belong to Jude Deveraux.

**Feedback: **I would most certainly appreciate it!

**Author's Note: **Thanks to **kristy, WolfbainKohaku, Nikki, Ann, francesca, Toniboo, and flowerofchaos2.0 **for reviewing.

Flowerofchaos2.0: Yes, I'll do sequel like stories. Just one-shots, though.

Kristy: Okay. I am going to do a story about Buffy telling the Scoobies, and another about her telling Angel, so don't worry. I loved 'Holly'. It was a good book. So keep on the look out for my little add-on stories, okay? Thanks for the review!

* * *

_Chapter 15: My Magic Moment_

Buffy pulled up to the house that moved into with Jack and got out of her car. Heading up the stairs, she passed the porch swing rocking in the slight breeze. She entered the house and stopped at the calendar, switching the month to May. Five months after Jack had told her he loved her. Smiling at the memory, she went into the kitchen and opened the fridge door. Frowning because the it was empty of water, she straightened.

"That's strange," she murmured. "I swear I bought a whole case last week." Shrugging, Buffy turned and reached for the phone, intending to call Jack. Before she picked it up, however, it rang. Raising her brow, she grabbed it and said a greeting. It was Jack. "Hey, I was about to call you. Do you know what happened to all the bottled water?"

"No, I don't. Wasn't there a case in there a week ago?" He asked.

"That's what I thought. Guess not, though. So, what's up?"

"Could you do me a favor? Go to Mitchem's Market and get some of that sourdough bread I like. While you're there, you can get some water."

"Sure," Buffy replied. "I'll see you tonight."

"I love you."

"Love you too," Buffy smiled and hung up. Grabbing her keys, she headed out to her car.

* * *

It took her fifteen minutes to reach the market. When she got there, Buffy parked her car and gave a curious glance to the group of giggling girls heading inside the door. Following behind them, she overheard part of their conversation.

"That is so romantic!" One of them gushed.

"Yeah, I know. I wish someone would propose to me like that!" Another one said wistfully.

"What kind of name is Buffy anyway?" The first one asked in a snide voice.

Buffy blinked in surprise. What? "What did you say?" She asked the girl, touching her arm.

"I asked what kind of name Buffy is," the girl answered, shooting her a strange look.

"Where did you hear that name?" Buffy asked.

"It was on the billboard outside. Some man is proposing to his girlfriend, Buffy."

"Oh, Jack. What are you doing?" She asked herself, turning and hurrying outside. Buffy followed a small crowd of people to a billboard. On the large board were the words, 'Buffy, Will You Marry Me?' She felt her eyes widen, especially when she saw Jack standing on the ground at the foot of the billboard.

He saw her standing there and motioned her over excitedly.

"Jack, what's going on?"

"Now, Buffy, let me speak first, okay?" He asked. He continued when she nodded. "I've thought about this a lot, so I don't want you to say I'm being rash. Since as long as I can remember, there has been this… emptiness inside of me. I could never figure out what it was. Until you. Until I almost got a book dropped on my head, and I looked up. And there you were. And since then, I've been able to breathe better. I love you so much. I don't know how I have managed this long living without you. I think I was born to love you. I want to marry you. I want to give you everything and the moon. I want to take the stars and string them around your neck. Nothing makes sense when you're not here. I need you."

Jack got down on one knee, and Buffy felt her eyes tear up when he took out a box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful ruby, set inside a band engraved with a spiraling design. "It's not a diamond," she said, confused.

"You're so much more than a diamond, Buffy." He explained, causing a few tears to fall out of her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

Buffy stared into his blue yes, so emotional and kind, and she knew her answer. "Yes, Jack. I'll marry you."

She grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him to her, pressing her lips to his, forgetting for a moment that he held a ring in his hand, and there was a large crowd watching them and cheering. This was her happily-ever-after, her magic moment.

* * *

The End! 


End file.
